From experience: which is cheaper??

[jaykat]

From all your wise and wonderful experience, which is generally cheaper: booking each thing seperately (eg hotel, park tickets, etc) or booking it as a package deal?? I cant get prices yet for hotels (apart from offsite) but the park tickets seem to be a good price now. Dont know whether to wait for a package deal to come through or book park only tickets now?

 

[wilde_oscar]

ifyou make a deal on every item, yeah, it can be done cheaper ala cart. However... the package gives you peace of mind that it is one stop to fix anything... if you forgot your park ticket in the room, they can fix it. if your flight is late, they adjust it. etc.

 

[Madonna3]

Uh what? I don't know what you mean "book park only tickets" now?

Generally, booking as a package doesn't get you anything cheaper. Some people buy tickets from 3rd party websites that sell Disney tickets cheaper than at the gate or online. In cases like that, then a "package" would not be cheaper because you saved money on the tickets.

Hotel discounts can be applied to a "package". Let's say you book a package w/ tickets and dining and then before you arrive a general pin code comes out that would give you 10% off a room. Well, you call in and they take 10% off the room portion of your "package" if what you booked meets the criteria.

You can't book dining without having a "package". Adding dining to a room only reservation turns it into a "package". "Packages" really aren't a deal as you'd pay the same if you booked everything separately. They are merely a convenience by booking everything to one reservation.

Then again, you are overseas and you might have other options available to you. Why not check out virgin's website as UK can purchase packages for 2009 right now.

 

[lisa3383]

If you are paying rack rate then the package deal is NO deal at all. They don't give you a discount for buying everything together. And although it provides peace of mind that you've taken care of everything your money is due much sooner and the cancelation process is more difficult once you've entered the final 45 day waiting period.

Separately you can get AAA room rate and still deal with Disney (must book the AAA package with AAA). Also you have more flexibility to cancel without fees and such. I usually do this and change to a package if a discount comes out that I can apply.

Note: you can't get DDP unless you do the package! This is the only reason I am doing the package this year.

 

[time4Mickey]

If you have booked a room only with AAA discount through Disney,can you then call AAA to add a package with your discount? In the past when we have tried to get a package through AAA it has always been rack rate.

 

[AmberLuvsWDW]

How long do you plan on staying? If it's more than 10 days, it might be worth it to get Annual Passes. Like OP have said, you might have different options since you're coming from outside the US.

 

[brentalex]

If you have booked a room only with AAA discount through Disney,can you then call AAA to add a package with your discount? In the past when we have tried to get a package through AAA it has always been rack rate.

If you already have a room only reservation with disney and want to change it to a package, you have to cancel the room only reservation and make a new package reservation. If a AAA travel agent has not been able to get you a package that includes the room discount, you may want to try a different agent. As long as you are not getting some other discount with the package through AAA, you should be able to get one with a discount on the room portion of the package. If the package the AAA agent gets for you has some other discount, free dining, or ticket upgrades, then you can't get the room discount. Only one discount per reservation.

 

[cart-mom]

Let's not confuse matters here. There isn't AAA in Australia.

If you want to guarantee your room, then book it now and you'll just have to check back for specials every now and again. By the ticker in your signature, it looks like you'll be here sometime in March. Prime time. Not too many "deals" offered then, but it is possible. You can almost always add a code to your reservation to lower your rate or to change to a package as long as there are rooms available for the dates you selected.

I don't want to sound like a Debbie Downer, just want to pass along information.

Keep checking these boards and Deb Wills' site -
www.allears.net for discount information. Good luck

 

[Chipmunk89]

It depends. I've bought the package and I've booked separately. You just have to compare the prices and deals at the time.

I do like buying the package because I have awhile to pay it off. I like going on vacation with everything already paid for.

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

How long do you plan on staying? If it's more than 10 days, it might be worth it to get Annual Passes. Like OP have said, you might have different options since you're coming from outside the US.

The annual pass isn't the only attractive option if staying for a longer time. Seeing as the op is from Ozzie, they could also buy the Ultimate Tickets. These are available for both 14 days and 21, giving you park hopper option, waterpark, fun&more option and it's about the same price as the 10 days MYW.

Let's not confuse matters here. There isn't AAA in Australia.

Well, you are wrong. Not only does Australia have AN AAA, they've got THE AAA. The Australian AAA that is. (see; http://www.aaa.asn.au/) As far as my knowledge goes, their AAA is affiliated with ARC Europe. As this is affiliated with the american AAA, this should mean both AAA's are affiliated. Affiliated asociations have perks. Being a member of one of those means that you are also allowed to book a room-only ressie with AAA-rate.


OP; we've booked it all seperate for this trip. At the moment the AAA-rate is the cheapest roomrate for the time we'll be at WDW. It's about a 27% discount. We'll be at WDW 14 days, so we really wanted a parkticket with more entres that the 10 day MYW. We just don't like to think about 'do I go to a park today or not, because I have ...... days left on my ticket'. With the Ultimate tickets being about the same price, we've gotten ourself 14 day Ultimate tickets. If any better discount were to come out (which I doubt, unless we get a pincode), I'll just have them change the room-only ressie to that rate, provided it is still available. Discounts will come out for both room-only and package, so no need to pick one over the other there.

 

[cart-mom]

Sorry. I was unaware of that factoid.

 

[jaykat]

Goofieslonglostsis - you are a genius!1 I had no idea that there was AAA in Australia and always just ignored all the info about discounts thru them. I am now going to look into it. I am not a member of AAA here, but I think that the car insurance that I am with (called NRMA) is a part of the Australian version of AAA. Thanks again - will let you know what I find!!

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

No genius at all, just somebody that has travelled a small bit and (used to, don't drive anymore) always check on this particular thing. Mainly to see which association covers any carproblems in the country 'm going to, but also to check out possible perks. You wouldn't believe the many discounts and extras you can get at all kinds of places around the world when being a member of the right association.

Car insurance overhere isn't enough to be able to use the AAA-discount. (we can get a car insurance through ANWB -our AAA-, but without a full membership no discount). But then again, I don't know if NRMA would automatically throw in a AAA-membership.

My advice; call in asap when the rates come out. AAA-rates tend to come out around the same time as the new year rates are released or within weeks of that. When you call at that moment, you've got a great change of getting a AAA-rate. Not a member yet (if membership doesn't come with the carinsurence)? Become one!

Most of the times the prices aren't very steep to become a member. For instance; I payed about €35,- (about $52,-) for my membership 2008. I don't drive anymore, so it's solely for the WDW-discount. That fifty-something dollars has saved us lots. Rack rate for our 14 days at CBR would be $2400,- . Because of the AAA-rate (and a small 'extra' from the booking-CM) we're paying $1743.43 I'ld gladly pay $52,- to safe almost $700,-



So if anyone is travelling anywhere; always check which associations are affiliated to the one you joined! It can safe you a nice amount. Not only in the US, but also in Ozzie, Asia, Europe etc.

 

[mickeymotto]

You can't book dining without having a "package". Adding dining to a room only reservation turns it into a "package".

.

Unless you have an AP, then you can add the dining plan.

But I guess that then becomes a package!

 

[backinoz]

Goofieslonglostsis - you are a wonderful, wonderful person!!!

We're also Aussies heading to the world for 2 weeks Dec08/Jan09. I'd never even thought about using my RACQ (AAA) membership for WDW discounts. I didn't realise we could get ultimate passes either - I assumed they were only for UK residents. BTW - where & how can we purchase Ultimate Tickets? Do they have to be pre-purchased?

Thanks Heaps!

 

[jaykat]

Hey backinoz - good to see another Aussie on this board... was thinking I was all alone. Anyway, I am in Sydney and am a member of the NRMA. I have tried looking into the AAA connection but have been unsuccessful so far. Think I will have to call them. I would love to know if you find out any info from your end. Thanks!

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

Backinoz; looks like we'll be leaving around the same time you'll be arriving. (first two weeks of december)

yes they have to be pre-purchased. Oficially oficially they are only for UK and Ireland residents. As far as I understand it, it is to make sure they aren't sold to those in the US. Anyhow, there are a couple of companies out there that will ship the tickets to any country except the US. undercovertourist.com is the one I used and it has a good rep here on the DIS. I payed $341,95 per person (adult) for the 14 day tickets. They shipped them for free, as they do for a couple of countries. They also ship free to Ozzie. It says it can take upto 12 business day when going with the free shipping. I got mine within 3 business days. (they are being shipped from the UK) Downside to buying tickets not through disney; you can't cancel.

PS; did you guys know yet that the World Of Disney also offers AAA-discount on purchases? Whoohoo!


Oh, and if you ask me; your version of Oz also has someting of a yellow brick road. Great place.